Method of marking articles of manufacture



June 3, 1924. 1,496,753

C. J. BURKLEY METHOD MARKING ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE Filed AUZ. 16 1920 so x 3% In.

coonfimn W101. C/em cZBu/k/er Patented June 3, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLEM J. BUBKLEY, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOODYEAR TBE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHI METHOD OF MARKING ARTICLES F MANUFAGTURE.

1 Application filed August 16, 1920. Serial 1T0. 408,864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLnM J. Bnnxnnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, Ohio, in the county of Summit and 6 .State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Markin Articles of Manufacture, of which the 0 lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the method of 10 providing articles of manufacture with a mark of identification, and it has for its rimary object, the provision of a method y which rubber articles in particular may be proirided with a mark of identification 1 which shall endure throughout the life of the article.

Heretofore articles of manufacture, such as rubber inner tubes for tire casings belts,

and the like, have been provided with a mark of identification, such as a trade mark, by stenciling or stam ing the design on the article after the artic c has been formed and vulcanized. This method, however is open to objection because the ink or other substance utilized to provide the mark must be given some time to thoroughly] dry, which consequently necessitates care 1 handling of the articles for a certain length of time after they have been marked. The fact that the articles must be carefully handled after being marked tends to decrease the rate of their production, which is of course undesirable.

One object ofmy invention, therefore, 36 resides in the provision of a method of marking articles which shall not interfere with the rapidity of production of the articles being marked.

A further object of my invention is to 40 provided articles of manufacture with an identifying mark which shall be placed on the articles in such manner as to aflord a distinct color contrast and therefore clearly define the mark or design utilized. 46 With these and other objects in view my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and then more fully pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a rubber inner tube which has been marked in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view illustrating a plusired by employing a suita le transferable material, and the sheet may then preferably be covered with an uncured piece of rubber, which may have its exposed surface treated with a suitable solvent before it is disposed upon the article it is desired to mark. The piece of uncured rubber and the non-adhesive material are disposed up- .on the article it is desired to mark before it is vulcanized and the usual process of .vulcanizing the article is followed. After the article has been vulcanized, the nonadhesive fibrous material may be removed from the iece of rubber which has become an integral part of the article being marked, and the transferable material is, of course, transferred to the surface of the rubber disposed in intimate engagement therewith.

It should be noted that the piece of uncured rubber, which is secured to the layer of material containing the transferable material, is preferably selected to secure a good color contrast between the article being marked and the transferable material forming the mark or design.

n Figure 2 is shown a layer of material 1, which may be any suitable fibrous material, such as Holland cloth, or paper, or any suitable material providinga non-adhesive surface, or a surface which will not unite with the rubber when it is placed in engagement therewith during its uncured state and then subjected to the heat of vulcanization.

The layer of material 1 is provided with the mark desired by em loyin a lithographic ink or any suitable ad esive material upon which is disposed a powder such as bronze powder, which when subyected to heat forms a black sulfide and produces a clearly defined imprint. It will be appreciated that various other materials may be em loyed to provide the mark deslred upon the piece of uncured rubber 2 wh ch is disposed in engagement with the sheet 1.

In practice the layer 1 is preferably a large sheet upon which a number of the marks or designs may be placed and a sheet of uncured rubber of the same size is disposed in engagement therewith, after which the superin" aosed sheets may be cut to provide separate marks.

Any suitable size or varnish may be used instead of ink to retain a suitable metallic powder in place until it has been subjected to heat to provide the desired mark.- The exposed surface of the uncured iece of rubber 2 may then be treated wit a solvent,

such as benzine, or the article to be curezl,"-

or both, may have the solvent applied the surface thereof to insure intimate engagement between the surface of the article to be marked and the piece of uncured rubber.

The piece of rubber with the layer of marking material 1 is disposed on the article to be marked and preferably subjected to a slight pressure to cause adhesion of the surfaces. The article is then subjected to the heat of vulcanization as in its ordinary course of construction, after which the layer 1 is removed.

The manner of disposing the uncured rubber and the layer of marking material contained thereon upon the article being marked depends to some extent upon the kind of article being marked. It will be apparent that the fibrous sheet and the uncured piece of rubber may be superposed in various ways, but it should be noted that the rubber receives the mark at the time the materials are disposed in intimate en agement. If calender rolls are employe the heat of calendering aids thetransfer of the marking material to the rubber. I have obtained a satisfactory transfer, however, by cold pressure in super-posing the rubber and fabric;

The broad object of my invention, however, resides in themethod of roviding a mark of identification for an article of manufacture by em loying a relatively. thin layer of materia carrying the mark which maybe incorporated in the structure of the article being manufactured. Furthermore, it should be noted that the intermediate layer of rubber is preferably selected of such co or. as to aflord' a good color contrast between the article'being marked and the ink or other substance constituting the mark.

The desirability of my invention and the advantages incident thereto are obvious since in the manufacture of any article the manufacturer is desirous of so marking the article as to insure the identification of its origin during its life.

It is obvious furthermore, that, a mark is of little or no value unless it is clearly defined throughout the entire life of the article. The fibrous sheet, utilized in marking the uncured piece of rubber, is referred to as non-adhesive to distinguish it from a material which would become an integral part of the rubber when vulcanized.

Although I have illustrated in the drawings and specifically described the materials employed in my methods of making articles of manufacture, it is obvious that a wide selection of materials may be emplo ed in accordance with m method without eparting from the spirit or scope of my invention, and I des1re therefore that no limitations shall be imposed except such as are indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A method of marking articles of manlfigcture that comprises marking a non-ad- 1 ive material with a transferable material, applying a piece of uncured rubber thereto, d sposing the rubber upon the article to be marked, applying heat to cure the rubber and removing the non-adhesive material.

2. A method of marking articles of manufacture that com rises markin a non-adhesive material wit a transferab e material, applying a piece of uncured rubber thereto, a plying a solvent to the exposed surface of t e piece of uncured rubber, disposin the rubber upon the article to be mark applying heat to cure the rubber and removing the non-adhesive material therefrom.

3. A. method of marking articles of manufacture that comprises marking a non-adhesive material by ap lying an adhesive material in the desired esign, disposing a material adapted to have its color set by the application of heat to the adhesive material, applying a piece of uncured rubber to the marked surface of the non-adhesive material, disposing the exposed surface of the uncured rubber upon an uncured rubber article, applying heat to cure the rubber and removing the non-adhesive material.

4. A methodof marking articles of manufacture that comprises markin a non-adhesive material by apfilying an a hesive material to outline the esired design, disposing of a material adapted to have its color set by the application of heat to the adhesive material, a pl ing a piece of uncured rubber to the mar e surface of the non-adhesive material, applying a solventto the exposed surface of uncured rubber, disposing the treated surface to en ago an uncured rubber article, applying dieat to cure the rubber and removing the non-adhesive material.

5. A method of manufacturiphg rubber articles that comprises forming 0 article of uncured rubber markin a non-adhesive ma terial with a transferab material, applying a piece of uncured rubber to the marked sur- In witness whereof, I have hereunto si ed face thereof, applying a solvent to the exmy name in the presence of two subscri ing posed surface 0 uncured rubber, disposing witnesses.

the piece of uncured rubber and its layer of CLEM J. BURKLEY. 5 non-adhesive material upon the uncured Witnesses:

rubber article, appl ing heat to cure the rub- J. E. KEATING,

her and removing t e non-adhesive material. L. M. Hnnnux. 

